chewingyu

Yes, I will be getting a RAID 5. I thought you can still do a RAID with IDE drives?

Well, I am sure there are. It's just that I would not know what I do not know. I am just depending on vendors to make offers during bidding exercises. So, I have ended up with Hupers and no turning back, really. Just have to make do with it and perhaps change it after a couple of years when they have depreciated to zero value!!

How would you define a "basic system"? I am connecting 23 Huper DVRs to 483 cameras.

Recently I have been experiencing problems with my newly installed Huper DVRs and my vendor says it is using SATA drives. Suspecting it to be a problem, it says that it will revert to using IDE drives. Also, upon my insisting of a RAID 5 back up system, it says that it would be better to use IDE drives. Please advise.

Hi guys! It has been a while and I am back this time to lament on my experience with the Huper DVRs that have been installed at my workplace. I think Huper pales in comparison with the Netsafe DVRs. It's refresh rate is much much slower, it is not as user friendly. Recent teething problems include the instability of the recording i.e. one moment I can see recordings for past 30 days (that was my specification to the vendor) and the next moment I cannot. Apparently, the 'E' drive where all the recordings are stored got 'lost'. So, we have to log off, reboot the DVR and the 'E' drive is back. The vendor says the fault lies with the harddisk. I am not really sure. Also, unlike the Netsafe, with the Huper I am unable to set different recording rate for different cameras. All is fixed it seems. I think I am really experiencing the "what is good is not cheap, what is cheap is not good"!

Is it true that the Ultrak system is running obsolete? My contractor who is currently doing an upgrading of system from analog to digital recording says that some of my PTZ cameras need to be replaced as he is unable to "source for the protocol" for his Huper DVRs. Of course, one option is to retain the Ultrax matrix switchers so that I needn't replace the cameras. But still, I would like to know if this ultrak system is obsolete?

What about the use of CAT5 cables instead of RG? Any art to installing it?

Andy, if I could offer any advice, it is to ensure and doubly ensure that the contractor who lays the cable had better be a trustworthy and dependable person who can do a good job. Believe me, there is nothing more critical than a well done cabling job because it would be a real headache when you encounter problems years later and discover that it might be due to cable or joints problems. It would be soooooo costly to recable. Faulty cameras, at least, you can just change there and then but to change cable...huh, it's a nightmare! How would I know? Well, I am currently the poor victim of poor workmanship. Also, it might be good if all your cameras drew the power supply from a distribution box (or boxes, if the building is very big and the cameras are spread out wide). This helps alleviate the possible problem of the cameras going kaput due to the tripping of the power supply line from which they are tapped.

I need to tap on you guys' experience in managing CCTV systems. Currently have close to 490 cameras installed over 7 buildings(and will be adding another 50!). All the surveillance monitors are centralised in a CCTV room. The 490 cameras can be broadly categorised into 4 'systems' based on different installation projects. Hence, I have 4 different vendors maintaining these 'systems'. Now, it seems, with the 50 additional cameras, I will be having the 5th 'system'. The problem with these systems is that each would have some cameras in some of the buildings. So, if I want to take a look at such and such an area in building A, I would sometimes need to scour through the entire 490 cameras to see which camera is looking at that area. Of course the duty security personnel would have worked long enough in the CCTV room would be able to point out the camera I am looking for, but still, it can get pretty daunting to remember 500 over cameras! So, I am wondering if I should reorganise all the cameras and group them into building categories. That would mean having to decide how many cameras and buffer in each DVR. This leads to a couple of concerns: 1) the complexity of rewiring and the criss-crossing of cables from different 'systems' underneath the floor board to accomplish this. 2) how would this complicate the maintenance of these 'systems' amongst the 4 maintenance vendors? I mean, there would be 2 or 3 or even 4 'systems' in each DVR.

Hi guys, I am back. The problem still persists...intermittent failures and contractor is again asking me to recable! And guess what, they ARE using BNC connectors. So, my dilemma continues......Do I recable or what?

The 5 vendors came about due to the drive to open to the market get the most economical quote. Rightfully or wrongfully, it is just prudent management to avoid being tied down to just the vendors that you know or are currently in contract with. So, everytime there is a project to install a substantial amount of cameras, we would conduct an open tender/bidding exercise. May the best man win, so to speak. So, if there is a low bid from a new player in the market, then there is no choice but to award it to it. But we digress. That we now have the 5th contractor is something we cannot avoid. The question now is how one should reorganise the 'mess' due to the 5 contractor. BTW, I am not speaking as a CCTV contractor. I am the user and I am dealing with 5 CCTV contactors. It's MY headache, really! So, I am just asking fellow users and CCTV vendors in the world whether if they have experienced similar predicament and what solution did they adopt.

Anyone to give some comments???

Thanks for the suggestion but at the moment the need to see the camera from any PC is not necessary. My concern is only how to deal with the different maintenance vendors. Let me try to illustrate with an example: Assume there are 3 buildings and 3 systems (maintained by 3 vendors respectively) Building A: 36 cameras, 2 systems: System X has 30 cameras; System Y has 6 cameras Building B 60 cameras 3 systems: System X has 25 cameras; System Y has 15 cameras and System Z has 20 cameras Building C 28 cameras 2 systems: System Y has 17 cameras; System Z has 11 cameras So, this means that the maintenance contract would be as follows: System X (maintained by Vendor X) - 55 cameras, 4 DVRs System Y (maintained by Vendor Y) - 38 cameras, 3 DVRs System Z (maintained by Vendor Z) - 31 cameras, 3 DVRs So, if I were to reorganise the systems (and renaming them) to coincide with buildings, then it would be: System A (Building A) - 36 cameras, 3 DVRs Possible Action: Disconnect 6 cameras from System Y and connect to System X. 1 DVR to be transferred to system B System B (Building B) - 60 cameras, 4 DVRs Possible Action: Disconnect 45 cameras from systems X & Z, and connect to system Y. System C (Building C) - 28 cameras, 3 DVRs Possible Action: Disconnect 17 cameras from System Y and connect to System Z. Then, with regards to the vendors, I suppose I could terminate all contracts and open all 3 systems for bidding to maintain them. Well, any opinions on this?

I am afraid that using our company's exisiting LAN network isn't an option, at least not for now. They cannot afford to give me the bandwith.

Sorry, what is IP convergence?

Just want to clarify that all my cameras are spread over 23 DVRs, not in 7 servers as you think.

Thanks. Haven't gone in details on the Video Insight Cards but I suppose it will tackle my first concern which is the messy criss-crossing of cables. But the second concern is still there isn't it?

I am thinking of getting a DVD recorder for my home. Basically it is to replace my VCR which I use to record TV programmes when I am not home. I am just wondering what is a good buy? Now I know this is a very general question and there would be a thousand questions asked before I can settle with a certain type. Well, I am basically torn between these two factors: - With harddisk or without - Get the -RW or the +RW type Anyone who can offer me their wisdom or two?

Actually, does it really matter? The PC monitors I am referring to are only for general surveillance use. Most important is that the recording in the DVR is clear and can be used for our investigative purposes, right?

Well, I was just told that PC monitor has an analogue input. ??!

Well, I forgot to mention one thing. In my conversion specs, I had indicated that I would like to keep my matrix switchers (for easy spot on monitoring and PTZ control). So, I am told by another vendor that the output is analogue. So, it would be advisable to use CCTV monitors but if I still want PC monitors, then some conversion device would be needed. Consequently, some signal loss should be expected resulting in lower image quality. Is this true?

Well, I am not really into recording movies only. Just that I am home late most evenings and when at home I need to get the kids to sleep. So, by the time I am done I would miss movies or prime time shows. So, I would record them and then watch them really late at nights. So, I would not take the trouble to edit out the commercials when burning DVDs. I am in Singapore and we get branded ones like Philip, Pioneer, etc as well as those cheap ones like Enzer, Shinco and Akira. Anyone heard of these brands?

Well, is it worth it if I request for DSP card and keep my CCTV monitors?

New system not installed yet but likely to be the Huper DVR (I had started a discussion thread on this topic) So, it is a PC Based system

Better quality in what sense? Clarity? Robustness? More costly than PC monitors right? But if I am replacing with a digital recording system, then should I still use CCTV monitors? Or it is okay to change to SVGAs?